Happy halloween! I was determined to make something vaguely healthy for the school's Freaky Friday bake sale and for the trick or treaters. This is free of sugar, gluten and dairy. You can also make it paleo by using almond meal instead of flour.

Makes 16
1/2 c coconut oil, softened to the consistency of butter
1/3 c maple syrup (or rice syrup)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
pinch salt
1 1/4 c flour (I use spelt)
16 blanched almonds
black food colouring (if desired)

Strawberry jam:
3/4 c frozen strawberries
2 tbsp rice syrup (or maple or honey)

Mix coconut oil and sweetener in a bowl until fully combined and smooth. Add extracts, salt and flour and mix until a dough forms. Add a little more oil if it's too dry and crumbly or more flour if it's too soft. Put in a plastic bag and refrigerate for half an hour.

In a small saucepan heat strawberries and sweetener over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the berries are thick, around 10 min, but don't let them burn. Transfer berries to a bowl, mash with a fork and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 160C. Line a baking tray that you can fit in your freezer with baking paper.

Take out dough from fridge and split into 16 equal-size portions. Roll each piece into a finger shape about 8-9cm long and 1cm wide. Place them on the trays and, using an almond, make a fingernail indent into the top of each finger. Remove the almond before baking. Then make 3 horizontal cuts with a sharp knife into each finger halfway down to make the knuckle. Put tray into the freezer for 10 minutes.

Bake for 12 min until golden brown and let cool on the trays.

You can leave the blanched almonds white or dye using black food colouring.

To assemble, dip the end of each finger in strawberry jam. Then put a bit of jam in each fingernail indent and place an almond on top.
They look pretty creep eh?!
witch